Sue Baker's view...

What if humankind disappeared from the face of the world – overnight? What would happen, how long would the world take to recover, how long before evidence of our existence disappears beneath the vegetation? There are many different answers to this question, with different time frames and scenarios and Alan Weisman’s questioning of people in the know, the experts and scientists has thrown up some amazing (and terrifying) facts. He knits all this together into an engrossing story that whilst the stuff of fantasy, has roots in the environmental damage inflicted on the planet today.

Synopsis

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

Speaking to experts in fields as diverse as oil production and ecology, and visiting the places that have escaped recent human activity to discover how they have adapted to life without us, the author of this book paints an intriguing picture of the future of Earth.

Reviews

Compelling ... jammed packed with fascinating what ifs

* Guardian * Flesh-creepingly good fun . . . Food for thought * Independent * A powerful vision of a possible future for the earth * Sunday Times * A hugely enjoyable and thought-provoking book * Scotsman * A wonderful idea... The World Without Us is a hugely enjoyable and thought-provoking book... Terrific * Evening Standard *

About the Author

Alan Weisman is a journalist and the author of numerous books, including An Echo in My Blood, Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World and La Frontera: The United States Border With Mexico. His writing has won several major awards and he appeared in The New York Times Magazine, the Los Angeles Times Magazine and in Best American Science Writing.